The Best Man
by Gonzo76
Summary: The episode "Tracker" inspired me to actually begin typing. Here follows my attempt to decide whom she should choose. Next chapter is up...
1. Sparring

**Chapter 1: Sparring**

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing except the typing errors. Please don't sue me.

**Notes**: This is my first SG fic, so please be gentle. (I don't think I've quite gotten the different characters' speech patterns down. Hope it's not freakishly out-of-character.)

**SG:A SG:A SG:A SG:A**

Ronon was only a little surprised when he entered the gym and saw Jennifer methodically stretching by the far wall. At this late hour, the large room was almost empty, but somehow the doctor still didn't notice the approach of the Satedan until he was looming over her.

"Didn't think you'd make it tonight."

To her credit, Jennifer didn't jump when the deep voice broke her from her reverie. Instead, she took the large hand he offered. As he pulled her to her feet, she replied, "Well, recent events have proven that I need the extra sparring practice more than ever." She released his hand and busied herself completing her stretches. She didn't notice his disapproving frown, or she probably wouldn't have continued, "It would be nice to be able to go off world without getting my ass kicked."

This time, she did jump when she felt his gentle, yet firm grip on her arm. "You handled yourself out there."

The guilt and fatigue of the past few days made it impossible for Jennifer to keep the bitterness from her voice. "If you consider getting myself kidnapped, putting you, Rodney, and that little girl in some pretty serious danger, and, sending Kiryk off to certain death by Wraith 'handling myself,' then I certainly did that."

Ronon was still trying to think of a way to reply to her words when he saw Jennifer ready herself in a defensive stance. She nodded to signify that she was ready to begin, and Ronon could see a spark of determination in her eyes. Figuring he was better at actions than words, he made his first attack.

**SG:A SG:A SG:A SG:A SG:A**

Forty-five minutes later, an exhausted Jennifer Keller slid down the gym wall and gratefully took the bottle of cold water her instructor offered. Winded, she nodded her thanks and drank deep before she stole a sideways glance at Ronon. He hadn't taken it easy on her tonight…and if she wasn't mistaken, she'd gotten in one glancing blow a few minutes before they'd called it quits.

Before she could express her thanks, however, her companion began speaking instead. "You did good."

For the first time all evening, Jennifer offered a real smile. She was glad that Ronon had apparently forgotten her little pity party from earlier. She'd regretted the words almost as quickly as she'd said them and was pleased that the Satedan wasn't going to bring them up, either. "Thanks, I apparently needed the workout. There's no better therapy than a session of hitting something with a stick."

Ronon didn't return the smile. Instead, he continued on, "I wasn't talking about tonight."

Sensing that the conversation was going somewhere she'd rather avoid, Jennifer interrupted. "Gee, I thought I was okay. I think I even…"

"I was talking about on the planet."

With that, Jennifer's smile faded. Her gaze dropped from Ronan's face to the bottle in her hands. For the first time since she'd known the man who sat beside her, she wished he'd be quiet.

"I read the report you wrote for Woolsey. He had to stun you twice just to get you to go with him, but when you realized what he needed, you went with him willingly. In that cave, you went after a Wraith, a Hunter, by yourself. And in the clearing, I think McKay would say you kicked a little ass yourself."

Jennifer was quiet a moment and she digested the logical way Ronan had laid out the events of the past few days. "But what about Kiryk? I couldn't save him."

"No, but you gave him the chance to make a choice. He brought the Wraith into that little girl's life, and by dialing the 'Gate, he was able to take them out of it. It was a fair trade."

Her voice almost a whisper, Jennifer replied, "That's what you would have done, isn't it?"

A grunt was the only reply she received…and it was really the only one she'd expected. Bringing herself to her feet, Jennifer said, half to herself, "We have too damn many hero complexes in Atlantis."

Ronon rose and followed her out of the gym. As they walked back to her quarters, she turned to thank him for both the practice and the advice. Instead, she was shocked into silence when she realized Ronon was standing close and staring intently into her eyes.

"Think about it this way, doc. Maybe we just have a lot of heroes in Atlantis." Jennifer felt his hand gently brush her hair behind her ear before he added, "You did good."

His hand dropped reluctantly from her face and he said, "Get some sleep."

Jennifer heard rather than saw her door close behind her. She readied for bed quickly and was under the covers in only a few minutes. It was a long time, however, before sleep came.


	2. A Good Team

Chapter 2: A Good Team

**Chapter 2: A Good Team**

**Disclaimer**: I still own nothing. Please don't sue me.

**Notes**: Here's Rodney's turn. It ended…um…differently than I thought it would.

**SG:A SG:A SG:A SG:A**

Rodney wasn't surprised when he entered the Infirmary and found Jennifer sitting between two occupied beds in what looked like a decidedly uncomfortable chair. Her head was bent over a tablet, and she had a slight frown on her face, as though she was trying to figure out a particularly difficult puzzle.

As he got closer, he could see the evidence of the events of the last 48 hours etched on her face. He wanted nothing more than to erase those lines of worry and exhaustion from around her eyes. In a quiet voice, so as not to disturb Jennifer's patients, he said, "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

Jennifer offered a sleepy smile. "Actually, I think that's my line. I recall your doctor ordering you to your quarters for some rest several hours ago."

Rodney's hands began to flutter as he stumbled through a long mixture of apology and explanation. Jennifer was able to decipher that while he didn't ignore her sound medical advice on purpose, he had been called to the lab by Radek who had apparently made some sort of breakthrough with the most recent ZPM difficulties that had been plaguing the city.

Smothering a laugh, Jennifer grabbed one of his hands to still it. She whispered, "I'm only teasing," and then rose and pulled Rodney towards her office. When they were a distance away from her sleeping patients, she spoke in a more normal tone. "I understand, though, Rodney. It's kind of hard to make yourself leave this place."

Rodney looked over at his teammates. "They're going to be okay, right?"

Nodding, she looked at the most recent test results that were currently displayed on the tablet. "Respiration and heart rate are back within normal limits, and I'm only getting mild traces of the toxin in the last blood samples we took. Everybody is out of the woods and, for lack of a better phrase, sleeping it off."

Taking another look at the beds, Rodney asked, in a slightly panicked voice, "Where's Teyla?"

Jennifer lay a reassuring hand on his arm. "She woke a couple hours ago, and all her tests were clear. I'm guessing that toxin Michael released didn't affect her as much due to her Wraith DNA. In fact, I've already started working on a way to use that to our advantage. It's possible that we can create some sort of vaccine against…" Realizing that she was babbling, Jennifer stopped abruptly. Taking a deep breath, she continued, "Teyla argued that she could sleep just as well, if not better, in her own quarters, and when I realized how much she needed to see Torren, I couldn't deny her. Kanaan is watching her closely and under strict orders to contact me if anything…."

"Your antidote worked, Jennifer." Rodney's interruption made Jennifer smile. He spoke with such confidence and pride that she almost blushed as well.

"I was thinking it was our antidote. You're the one who figured out how to get the molecules to combine without further attacking their cells." Her smile faded as she continued, "If you hadn't been there, I don't know what…"

She shuddered as she trailed off. Rodney watched as her eyes darted to Sheppard…and Ronon. Choosing his words carefully, he took a deep breath before speaking.

"You said it yourself, they're going to be fine. You don't have worry. Plus, you know those two. They'll be back to their old selves, tormenting me and making Pegasus safe for all humanity before you know it." His words were light, but they cost him. He thought to himself, 'There's nothing quite like assuring the woman you love that the man you believe _she_ loves is going to be just fine.'

Jennifer didn't seem to catch his attempt at humor. Instead, she replied quietly, "That's not what's bothering me."

Rodney simply looked at her for a moment, and he was amazed at the range of emotions he saw play across Jennifer's face. It almost seemed as though she was arguing with herself before she began to speak. Her voice was low, so he had to lean close to hear her.

"When they called the medical team to the 'Gate room, all I could think was that Sheppard's team had been off world. Then when I saw Major Lorne's men start carrying them through, I almost panicked."

Unsure of where this story was going, Rodney countered, "That's understandable, Jennifer. No one expects you to…"

Afraid she'd be unable to finish if she didn't do it quickly, Jennifer interrupted. "I could barely do my job, Rodney." She paused for a minute, as if debating whether or not to finish her thought. "I didn't pull myself together until I saw you running in from your lab. I was so relieved when I realized that you weren't with them…and I'm trying really hard to figure out how to handle that."

The implications of that statement were barely sinking in when they heard stirrings from one of the occupied beds. The conversation dangling unfinished between them, both rushed towards Sheppard's bed.

"What happened?" His voice was a little rusty, but Jennifer was pleased that he seemed both clear and coherent.

She went about checking his vitals as she replied, "Your team ran across one of Michael's less successful laboratories, and it seems he left a nasty airborne poison to deter trespassers."

John nodded, and then immediately asked, "How're Teyla and Ronon?"

The doctor answered quickly, hoping to remedy the panic she saw in her patient's eyes. "Everyone is fine. Teyla's been released to her quarters, and Ronon is still enjoying the luxurious accommodations of the infirmary. I'm hoping he'll follow your lead and be awake soon."

Smirking, John replied, "The big guy's still out, huh?"

Rodney muttered, "And you're never letting him live that one down, I'm sure."

The tension of the last day…and the last few moments…seemed to slide from Jennifer's shoulders as she appreciated their good natured banter. She smiled when John looked at her.

"I'm guessing we have you to thank for saving our hides this time, doc?"

Jennifer was looking at John, but her reply was directed at Rodney. "Actually, I think we have Dr. McKay to thank for this one."

Rodney looked flustered for a moment before he found his voice. "It was a joint effort, I'd say." He dared a smile at Jennifer. "In this case, hard science was able to back up voodoo and save the day."

John watched the exchange with a mixture of amusement and wonder. "Guess you two make a good team."

Jennifer checked the colonel's chart one more time before replying, mostly to herself, "Maybe you're right."

A few moments and one argument later, John was resting, and Jennifer and Rodney found themselves once again in her office. He'd just opened his mouth to speak when his radio crackled to life.

"Radek's having another breakthrough, huh?"

Rodney didn't know whether or laugh or scream at the irony. The issue with the ZPM that had kept up from joining John, Teyla, and Ronon on the mission that started this whole thing was now keeping him from continuing what had become a very interesting conversation. "I have to go."

Jennifer heard the distinct sounds of an unhappy Satedan waking in the other room. She smiled wryly, "And I have to stay."

For an instant, they both stopped and just looked at each other. The moment was broken, however, when Radek's frantic voice broke into Rodney's thoughts, and Jennifer heard a loud crash coming from her infirmary. With one last look of regret, each of them sprinted from Jennifer's office.


End file.
